Access Health CT past sign-up projection

There are only three weeks left for Americans to sign up for health coverage through the insurance marketplaces created as part of the sweeping federal health reform legislation known as Obamacare.

But even with the deadline looming, the leader of the state's exchange is calm, saying he doesn't expect a huge enrollment crush in the coming weeks.

"I don't think our experience for the end of March is going to be quite as active as the end of December," when state residents were rushing to sign up so they could be covered by Jan. 1, said Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Connecticut health care marketplace, Access Health CT.

Counihan was one of six state exchange leaders who participated in a conference call Thursday led by the nonprofit health advocacy group Families USA. They talked about their respective states' progress in getting residents to sign up by the deadline. Consumers must sign up for coverage or receive an exemption by March 31 to avoid a tax penalty. For 2014, the penalty is either 1 percent of the family's gross household income or $95 per uninsured individual -- whichever amount is greater.

In Connecticut, 160,580 people have enrolled in coverage through Access Health CT, surpassing the exchange's self-imposed goal of 100,000 people. Counihan said roughly 62,000 of those who enrolled signed up for one of three private health plans represented on the exchange. Most of the remainder signed up for some form of Medicaid.

Counihan said about 2,000 people a day sign up through the state marketplace, and of those who have enrolled so far, 92 percent have paid their premiums.

"I think what we've been seeing is that this is becoming a little bit like a machine," he said.

Most of those on the call didn't share Counihan's calm about the remainder of the eligibility period, including Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack.

More Information

To learn moreConsumers can continue to compare the plans offered through the health exchange and shop for coverage online at www.accesshealthct.com or call 1-855-805-4325. A list of upcoming enrollment fairs and a link to locate an in-person assister are available at learn.accesshealthct.com.

"I think we have reason to believe that there's going to be, in the month of March, a huge influx to get people enrolled," he said.

The coalition is one of the many "assister" organizations in the state charged with teaching people about Access Health, and walking them through the various plans to find the one that's best for them. Sparks said the coalition was so overwhelmed, they asked Access Health to temporarily remove their number from the list of assisters.

Counihan also said many of Access Health's marketing efforts of late have centered on educating people about the tax penalty.

"We're a little concerned that people in our state think the penalty is only $95 and don't know (that it could be) 1 percent of their income," he said.

Though it hasn't been without hiccups -- including a long delay in launching its Spanish-language web site -- Access Health CT has been relatively free of the woes plaguing other some states, particularly those without their own exchanges. Residents of these states had to seek coverage through the federal website, HealthCare.gov, which was bogged down with well-publicized technical difficulties.

This week, the federal government announced that 4.2 million people have bought coverage in plans sold through either the federal exchange or a state marketplace. That's roughly 2 million short of the 6 million people the government hoped to enroll by March 31.